Windshield blade reconditioner

ABSTRACT

A hand tool of pocket size is provided for cleaning and reconditioning the wiping edge portion of a resin or rubberlike wiping blade for windows, such as of a motor vehicle. The tool has a rigid operating head of abrasive-lined surface V-shape that is adapted to be moved along the wiping edge portion of a blade to remove adherent road grime, alkali metal scum, etc. The construction is such that highly adherent soaplike materials are removed with an abrasive-scraping relative movement of the operating head along the feather wiping edge and adjacent side portions or faces of the wiping edge portion of the blade; the sides of the head have an angular relation such as to support the blade in a relatively straight or unbent or folded-over shape during the cleaning movement of the tool longitudinally therealong. The tool has a gripping handle that is angled from the operating head to enable the operator to easily condition or clean a wiper blade that is in position in a substantially planar operating position with respect to the windshield of a vehicle by merely raising the blade slightly away from the windshield.

United States Patent 1191 Prunchak 1 Jan. 9, 1973 541 YWINDSHIELD BLADERECONDITIONER [76] Inventor: John Prunchak, 1013 Wymore Street,Pittsburgh, Pa. 15220 22 Filed: March 22,1971

21 App1'.No.: 126,849

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1916 Blair .51/392 12/1963Mathisen ..51/391 x Primary Examiner0thell M. Simpson Attorney-Green,McCallister & Miller 571 ABSTRACT A hand tool-of pocket size is providedfor cleaning and reconditioning the wiping edge portion of a-resin orrubberlike wiping blade for windows, such as of a motor vehicle. Thetool has a rigid operating head of abrasive-lined surface V-shape thatis adapted to be moved along the wiping edge portion of a blade toremove adherent road grime, alkali metalscum, etc. The construction issuch that highly adherent soaplike materials are removed with anabrasive-scraping relative movement of the operating head along thefeather wiping edge and adjacent side portions or faces of the wipingedge portion of the blade; the sides of the head have an angularrelation such as to support the blade in a relatively straight or unbentor folded-over shape during the cleaning movement of the toollongitudinally therealong. The tool has a gripping handle that is angledfrom the operating head to enable the operator to easily condition orclean a wiper blade that is in position in a substantially planaroperating position raising the blade slightly away from the windshield.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDJAN 91973 3,708,924

IN VE/V TOR.

John Prunchalr HIS ATTORNEYS WINDSHIELD BLADE RECONDITIONER BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to a toolor hand-operated device for cleaning-scraping or reconditioningrubberlike wiper blades such as are used on a motor vehicle for cleaningits windshield, andparticularly to a tool that will operate to quicklyand effectively remove highly adherent sludge, scum, slime, road oil,etc., in order that the blade may be restored to a full cleaningeffectiveness and without replacement. A phase of the invention dealswith providing a tool that will clean and recondition a wiper blade byshape-supporting movement along its immediate wiping edge portion andwithout damage to the blade and in such a manner as to remove anyadherent coating material including corrosive salt film therefrom.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION During the different seasons'of the year, awindshield wiper blade is subjected to wear and tear, due not only tothe need for removing raindrops, snow, and ice but also due particularlyto the presence of road sludge, scum, slime and salts, such as usedfor'melting ice and snow in freezing weather. Such materials tend to notonly form a vision obscuring scum on a glass windshield, but also tendto form a slippery greaselike, substantially invisible coating on thewiper blade which, in a short time, makes it ineffective in cleaning andtends to streak the windshield. The filling station attendant will liftthe wiper blades and clean the windshield but merely lets .the bladessnap back in place thereafter, not realizing that an invisible coatingis being built-up on the blade making it less effective. When sufficientthickness of the coating builds up, then it has been customary toreplace the wiper blade which is an expensive item.

The applicant discovered that although those skilled in the art hadheretofore thought that the blade had deteriorated from the standpointof its rubber content when its initial operative efficiency was reduced,the formation of an adherent film is the real reason and this is true,although a failure to remove such film particularly where corrosive salthas been used will result in a deterioration of flexible characteristicsof the blade. The real difficulty involved is the formation or gradualbuilding up of a coating or film on the active wiping edge surface ofand along adjacent operating surfaces of the blade. Thus, steps weretaken in an endeavor to find some means of removing such filmperiodically without damage to the relatively thin, supple, somewhatfeatherlike working edge portion of the blade.

It has'been discovered that this could be accomplished by employing aV-shaped slide body or head having an applied, relatively fine, sanderor abrasive backing surface, or lining and as supported by an angularlypositioned backwardly sweeping handle for longitudinal movement alongthe blade. The abrasive surface or lining is adapted to both abut theimmediate wiping edge and abutment-support the blade along its opposedside faces to maintain its shape adjacent such edge. Although one fulllongitudinal stroke along the upper blade is usually sufficient, abackand forth stroke may be accomplished for a badly coated blade, allwithout removing the blade from its mounted position on the vehicle andwhile holding it with one hand slightly outwardly on its flexiblemounting away from the windshield and employing the other hand to gripand operate the tool. The head andhandle of the tool are constructed toassure a proper relative cleaning action from the side of the hood of avehicle without effecting a tearing action on the ratherfragile-immediate feather or wiping edge of the blade. Surprisingly asit may seem, it has been discovered that a cleaning stroke of the toolperiodically will give a wiper blade an indefinite effective operatinglife, in that it both removes substances which decrease its efficiencyas well as those that tend to deteriorate the rubberlike material of itsconstruction.

It has thus been an object of the invention to solve the problem ofrapid windshield wiper blade deterioration.

Another object has been to provide simple and effective means forreconditioning the wiping portion of a wiper blade without in any waydamaging it and in such a manner as to materially increase its operatinglife effectiveness.

A further object has been to provide a tool that can be held in acomfortable position by the user thereof and quickly and effectivelyutilized to recondition a wiping bl'ade whenever it becomes necessary.

These and other objects will appear to those skilled in the art from theillustrated embodiment.

I BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a planview to scale taken from the underside of a tool or deviceconstructed'in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front edge view in elevation on the same scale of and of thetool or device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view on the scale of FIGS. 1 and 2 andtaken from the underside of the tool to show the shape and constructionof its operating head.

FIG. 4 is a somewhat schematic view illustrating the operating usage ofthe tool or device of FIGS. 1 and 3 as applied to the cleaning of arepresentative rubberlike wiper blade; this view is on a reduced scalewith respect to FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged end section in elevation showing a representativepositioning of a wiper blade within the operating head of the toolduring the cleaning of the blade and importantly, in such a manner as toprevent a bending-under of the wiping edgeor of adjacent opposed sidefaces of the blade.

And, FIG. 6 is a fragmental end view inelevation on the scale of FIG. 5showing a modified type of wiper blade such as used on a jeep and whichmay be reconditioned or cleaned in accordance with the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In carrying out the invention, atool or device 10 has been devised that has a rigid V-shapedoperatingbody or head part 11 that defines an operating trough, groove or recessportion to be drawn along the wiping portion of a typical wiper blade,see 20 or 20 of FIGS. 5 and 6. The operating head 11 is defined by apair of outwardly diverging and inwardly converging side walls that meetat a connecting rounded or smoothly angular base or apex portion 11a.Both the inside of the apex portion 1 la and the inner planar faces ofthe side walls are show-n covered with an abrasive material or strip 12which may be a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side with a grit orsanding surface on its opposite side. it may have an" aluminum oxidegrit on its exposed or operating side. A suitable material of thisnature is being produced and sold by Carborundum Corporation of Americaas its Flexbac cloth and. can be obtained within a relatively fine rangeof grit that is required for providing an abrasive surface thateffective for the cleaning action without damage to the wiper blade. Inthis-connection, too fine a grit will not properly remove the film orcoating, while too heavy a grit will tend to roughen the surface of theblade and, in this sense, open its pores and make it more sensitive tosludge and grime pick-up. It is thus important to employ a grit within arange of about lOQto 500, with an optimum of about 350 to 400.

Aluminum oxide grit has been found to be particularly suitable, althoughsilicon carbide and other grits may be employed. A cloth strip or fabriclike abrasive material as well as a tough paper backing have been foundto be satisfactory. It is important to use a waterproof,weather-resistant adhesive, such as an epoxy resin, for securing thematerial 12 within the head 11. The shape of the groove portion'is suchas to further the maintenance of the abrasive material 12 in an adherentrelation within the operating head 11, and to properly support orposition the, wiper blade for effecting an efficient cleaning operationand without damaging the blade 20. It is also important to have thematerial 12 fully planar with the downwardly converging planar sides ofthe groove and in a secure angular relation at the outwardly offsetconnecting base or apex portion 11a thereof. An effective angularrelation for each inwardly converging side wall ofthe head of about 15to a minimum of about 9? with respect to the verti-- cal has been foundto be suitable, with an optimum of about 10. The angleshould be suchthat the lower, feather edge portion of the blade is supported insubstantially a straight plane and its immediate edge is inpressure-engagement with the apex portion 1 1a.

lt is also important to provide the tool 10 with a handle part 13 thatextends in a somewhat angular,off -normal or I perpendicular, backwardsweep from the operating head 11, in order that the operator can have afree and easy sweep in moving or pulling the tool alongthe bladesubstantially normal or perpendicular thereto from the side of a hood ofa motor vehicle. The I tool v10 may be of a suitable metal material,such as aluminum steel or stainless steel, but it should provide anoperating headpart 11 of rigid nature, although the handle 13maybesomewhat flexible. As shown, the

handle 13 base pair of planar wide side faces that extend substantiallyperpendicularwith respect to the V portion of the head 11. If the toolis made of a resin The operation of the device 10 is particularlyillustratedin FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 4, 20 represents a typicalrubberlikewip'er blade in.position over a glass windshield 30 of anautomobile. Portion 20a thereof represents an immediate wiping edgeportion which normally will engage the surface of .the windshield 30.Thisfigure illustrates the tool 10 being pulled along the immediatewiping edge 204 and opposed adjacent side face portions 20b and 20c ofthe blade 20 (see also F IG.

5) lnFlG. 4, a shows. a portion of the'blade 20 from which the film hasbeen removed and b shows the dirty portion on which a film or coatinghas been deposited.

With reference to FIG. 5, it is highly important to construct and employthe head 11 in such a manner as to support the blade 20 in an uncreasedor bent-over shape by providing an angular relation between the opposedside walls of the V-shaped recessed operating head 11, such that animmediate wiping edge 20d of the glove compartment of a car for readyavailability as a safety item to always assure a clean windshield.

I claim:

1 1. In a tool of the character shown and described for reconditioning arubberlike wiper blade by relative movement of the tool in a supportingrelation along a wiping edge portion and opposed adjacent side faces ofthe blade, a relatively rigid operating head and an outwardly extendinghandle having an integral connection with said operating head, saidoperating head having a V-shape, an abrasive surface of relatively finegritlike texture along the inside of the V-shape of said operating head,the V-shape of said operating head being defined by a pair of opposedside walls thatconverge in an offset relation with respect to saidhandle into a connecting apex to slidably engage the opposed adjacentside faces of the blade and support and maintain the wiping edge.portion in slidable engagement along its length with the grit of saidabrasive surface'adjacent and connecting apex during therelative-movement of the tool along the blade,-said handle having a'pair of opposed planar wide sidefaces that are integrally connect ed to'and along an inner longitudinal side of said operating head, said sidewalls of said head converging v in an outwardly offset relation withrespect to said wide (plastic) material it should be of a reinforcedtype to side faces of said handle, and said abrasive surface having agrit size .within a range of about to 500 in fineness.

2. In a tool as defined in claim 1, each of said opposed side wallsdefining an angle of about 10 with respect to the vertical. I v

3. In a tool of the character'shown and described for reconditioningxarubberlike wiper blade by relative movement along its wiping edgeportion and opposed adjacent side faces thereof, a relatively rigidoperating head, and an outwardly extending handle having a backwardlysweeping angular relation and an integral 1 connection with an innerlongitudinal side of said operating head, said operating head having aV-shape extending along said integral connection with said handle anddefined by a pair of opposed substantially planar downwardly-inwardlysloped side walls that converge in an offset relation with respect tosaid handle into a connecting apex to slidably engage and support theopposed adjacent side faces of the blade, said connecting apex having across-extending relation with respect to said handle, and an abrasive ofa relatively fine grit texture secured along the inside of the V-shapeof said operating head for frictional abutting engagement with thewiping edge portion, and adjacent side faces of a wiper blade.

4. In a tool as defined in claim 3, said handle having a backwardlysweeping angular relation with an inner longitudinal side of saidoperating head and also having relatively planar opposed wide side facesthat are integrally connected to an upper edge of an inner one of saidpair of planar side walls of said operating head.

5, In a tool as defined in claim 3, said connecting apex being ofrounded shape for smooth engagement with the wiping edge portion, andsaid side walls having an angular relation with respect to each otherwhereby they will slide alongthe adjacent side faces in an alignmentbalancing relation to maintain the blade in a supported substantiallyvertical alignment during movement of said operating head therealong.

6. In a tool as defined in claim 5, said abrasive having a grit sizewithin a range of about 350 to 400 in fineness. 1

7. In a tool as defined in claim 3, said operating head and said handlebeing of metal construction, and said blade having smoothly curvednarrow edge portions defining its shape and extending from saidoperating head in an off-perpendicular angular direction with respectthereto.

8. In a tool as defined in claim 3, said handle being of relatively flatstraplik e metal construction and having an eyelet in its back endportion for mounting it when not in use.

9. In a tool as defined in claim 3, said abrasive having a grit finenesswith a range of 300 to 500 and being in the form of a strip securedalong inner faces of said pair of opposed planar side walls and alongthe inside of said connecting apex of said head.

10. In a tool as defined in claim 3, said abrasive being in the form ofa relatively strong fabriclike material having a pressure-sensitiveadhesive on the outer side thereof for securing it along inner faces ofsaid pair of opposed side walls of said operating head and along aninner face of said connecting apex, and said abrasive material having agrit size on its inner side within a range of about 350 to 400 infineness.

1. In a tool of the character shown and described for reconditioning arubberlike wiper blade by relative movement of the tool in a supportingrelation along a wiping edge portion and opposed adjacent side faces ofthe blade, a relatively rigid operating head and an outwardly extendinghandle having an integral connection with said operating head, saidoperating head having a V-shape, an abrasive surface of relatively finegritlike texture along the inside of the V-shape of said operating head,the V-shape of said operating head being defined by a pair of opposedside walls that converge in an offset relation with respect to saidhandle into a connecting apex to slidably engage the opposed adjacentside faces of the blade and support and maintain the wiping edge portionin slidable engagement along its length with the grit of said abrasivesurface adjacent and connecting apex during the relative movement of thetool along the blade, said handle having a pair of opposed planar wideside faces that are integrally connected to and along an innerlongitudinal side of said operating head, said side walls of said headconverging in an outwardly offset relation with respect to said wideside faces of said handle, and said abrasive surface having a grit sizewithin a range of about 100 to 500 in fineness.
 2. In a tool as definedin claim 1, each of said opposed side walls defining an angle of about10* with respect to the vertical.
 3. In a tool of the character shownand described for reconditioning a rubberlike wiper blade by relativemovement along its wiping edge portion and opposed adjacent side facesthereof, a relatively rigid operating head and an outwardly extendinghandle having a backwardly sweeping angular relation and an integralconnection with an inner longitudinal side of said operating head, saidoperating head having a V-shape extending along said integral connectionwith said handle and defined by a pair of opposed substantially planardownwardly-inwardly sloped side walls that converge in an offsetrelation with respect to said handle into a connecting apex to slidablyengage and support the opposed adjacent side faces of the blade, saidconnecting apex having a cross-extending relation with respect to saidhandle, and an abrasive of a relatively fine grit texture secured alongthe inside of the V-shape of said operating head for frictional abuttingengagement with the wiping edge portion, and adjacent side faces of awiper blade.
 4. In a tool as defined in claim 3, said handle having abackwardly sweeping angular relation with an inner longitudinal side ofsaid operating head and also having relatively planar opposed wide sidefaces that are integrally connected to an upper edge of an inner one ofsaid pair of planar side walls of said operating head.
 5. In a tool asdefined in claim 3, said connecting apex being of rounded shape forsmooth engagement with the wiping edge portion, and said side wallshaving an angular rElation with respect to each other whereby they willslide along the adjacent side faces in an alignment balancing relationto maintain the blade in a supported substantially vertical alignmentduring movement of said operating head therealong.
 6. In a tool asdefined in claim 5, said abrasive having a grit size within a range ofabout 350 to 400 in fineness.
 7. In a tool as defined in claim 3, saidoperating head and said handle being of metal construction, and saidblade having smoothly curved narrow edge portions defining its shape andextending from said operating head in an off-perpendicular angulardirection with respect thereto.
 8. In a tool as defined in claim 3, saidhandle being of relatively flat straplike metal construction and havingan eyelet in its back end portion for mounting it when not in use.
 9. Ina tool as defined in claim 3, said abrasive having a grit fineness witha range of 300 to 500 and being in the form of a strip secured alonginner faces of said pair of opposed planar side walls and along theinside of said connecting apex of said head.
 10. In a tool as defined inclaim 3, said abrasive being in the form of a relatively strongfabriclike material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the outerside thereof for securing it along inner faces of said pair of opposedside walls of said operating head and along an inner face of saidconnecting apex, and said abrasive material having a grit size on itsinner side within a range of about 350 to 400 in fineness.